Koreas birth rate in August shows largest in... > 경제기사 | economics

The number of babies born in August increased by more than 1,000 from a year earlier, marking the first increase in a decade. As of August, it was the largest increase in 14 years. The increase in the birth rate is being driven by a staggered increase in marriages that were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.


According to the data released by Statistics Korea on October 23, the number of births in August 2024 was 20,098, up 5.9 percent 1,124 from a year earlier. Although it was slightly lower than that of July 20,601, which was a 12-year high year-on-year, it was the largest increase in August in 14 years since 2010 6.1 percent.

The number of births in August increased for the first time since 2015, after nine consecutive years of decline. Since December 2015, the number of births has increased year-on-year only in September 2022 0.1 percent, April 2.8 percent, May 2.7 percent, July 7.9 percent, and August 5.9 percent of this year.

The increase in births this year is largely due to a 6.8 percent increase in marriages since August 2022, which were postponed due to lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic. An increase in the number of marriages usually leads to an increase in the birth rate one and a half to two years later. Lim Young-il, director of the population trend division at Statistics Korea, said, "The increase in marriages in August 2022 has led to an increase in the number of births," and predicted, "There is a possibility that the increase will continue until the second half of this year."

The number of marriages in August was 17,527, up 20.0 percent 2,917 from a year earlier. In July, the number was 32.9 percent higher on-year, the largest increase since 1981, when related statistics were compiled. The cumulative number of marriages from January through August this year was 146,403, 12.2 percent higher than a year ago 130,458. The increase in the number of marriages is expected to have a positive impact on the increase in the birth rate.

However, there were more deaths than births in August, resulting in a natural decrease of 12,046 in the population. The number of deaths in August totaled 32,244, up 5.6 percent from a year ago.

Meanwhile, the population of Seoul is decreasing and that of Gyeonggi Province is increasing. According to Statistics Koreas data released on the day, the net migration by province and city in the third quarter of this year showed that Gyeonggi Province 18,079, Incheon 5511, and South Chungcheong Province 2,349 experienced a net influx of people, while Seoul -13,588, Busan -4093, and North Gyeongsang Province -2,673 experienced a net outflow. It is interpreted that Seoul residents under the age of 30 are moving to Gyeonggi Province due to rising housing costs. As the population of Busan, the second-largest city, is also decreasing, it is believed that the "population concentration phenomenon in the Seoul metropolitan area" has intensified.



Kim Yoon Na-young

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